I want it all and I want it yesterday. I’m probably not the only one who feels this way. When you get to a certain age, you look back at your life and think, “what have I accomplished?” It’s daunting to be facing another birthday and know there are still things I haven’t done.

For years I put my writing on the back burner, writing only in bits and pieces until my kids were old enough they didn’t need my help with homework or constant supervision. When my youngest son started middle school, I began sending out query letters and excerpts of my novels. I’d get close and then, nothing. I kept taking classes, reading books and magazines learning everything I could on how to write and get published. I joined local writers’ groups and even started my own group, The Word Weavers.

In 2008, I went with my best friend to Pittsburg to my first Romantic Times Readers and Writers Convention. It was an awesome experience. In 2009, I won the Ann Peach Scholarship and attended my second (and last) Romantic Times Convention. I joined Romance Writers of America and my local chapter. I had an article published in RWA’s magazine Romance Writers Report. I found an agent and spent a couple of years learning from her how to make my books marketable. Every success and every setback has brought me closer to my goal.

I ended up self-publishing this past November. I’d fought self-publishing for years. Fear and a belief that I would not feel as if I’d succeeded unless my book was published by one of the big traditional publishers. Am I a success? Well, I’m no Nicholas Sparks but I have enjoyed learning, publishing and even marketing my novel. My family and friends have supported this dream. Their encouragement and assistance has made this journey, not only possible but a pleasure. Am I a success? I think so, because I’m happy. So, Happy Birthday to me and stay tuned to see what I do next. (I’m not even sure what that is yet!)

Now I’m juggling being the chairperson of the Pamlico Writers’ Group, helping my fellow Word Weavers publish our first anthology and finishing the sequel to Chrome Pink, White Gold. I even have a children’s book with pictures drawn by a friend, that I’m hoping to publish this year. The Pamlico Writers’ Group is a very active group with serval events a year. It can be a bit overwhelming but I also feel that it is because of these groups and programs that I have persevered to publish my first book and I’m so determined to see the rest of my dreams come true.